MONTREAL - With a little less than a week remaining before the start of the Expansion Draft, Montreal head coach Jesse Marsch told MLSsoccer.com what his plans are for next week’s first major step toward building the Impact's roster.
The ex-Chivas USA midfielder has just returned from his second trip to South America in less than a month, heading south with assistant coach Mike Sorber. Both paid a visit to a few players that caught Marsch’s attention during the initial trip in October.
“We watched them a bit more closely this time,” Marsch told MLSsoccer.com. “We evaluated different scenarios to see how they could fit into the team’s strategy. We also analyzed the financial aspect of bringing one or many players from South America.”
The gaffer explained that the Montreal faithful should not expect any news before the expansion draft scheduled on Nov. 23. “We want to keep all the doors opened,” he said. “That being said, we’re still looking for offensive-minded players.”
Marsch was full of praise for Sorber, who he said brings a complimentary dimension to his own methodology.
“Mike’s a guy who I trust a lot,” Marsch said. “He’s been to South Africa in 2010, so he can bring that international knowledge. It’s also good to have different eyes to scenarios.”
When asked about his plans for next week, the Impact’s manager remained very discrete. The ex-US assistant coach knows that the team could benefit from experienced and established MLS players, but emphasized that he was preparing for various scenarios.
“We need players with a strong MLS background and experience,” Marsch said. “There are a lot of players on our radar. Although we have a good sense of what to expect next week, we want to have as many options as possible. It’s important to keep an open mind.”
